Crib blanket



May 11, 1954 K. M. MOYNIHAN CRIB BLANKET Filed July 11, 1952 Patented May 11, 1954 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE CRIB BLANKET Kathryn M. Moynihan, North Cambridge,

Mass.

Application July 11, 1952, Serial No. 298,317

1 Claim.

without restraining or limiting movement of the babys arms.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a crib blanket having readily releasable and adjustable means thereon for securing the shoulders and head may be uncovered when the baby is awake, and so that the arms may be placed under the blanket when the baby is sleeping.

Another object is to provide a crib blanket having means at the top edge portion for securement of the blanket to a baby below the arms of the baby, and having a plurality of detachable and adjustable securing means along opposite side margins of the blanket for securing the side margins to a crib rail when an adjustable crib mattress is at dilierent elevations from the floor.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve the structure and effectiveness of crib blankets, and more especially such blank ets having provision for securement of the blanket in a predetermined covering relation to a baby reclining in a crib.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of the under side of a crib blanket embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a side portion of a crib showing the crib blanket secured at one side location to a crib rail;

Fig. 3 is a view generally similar to Fig. 2 but showing the crib blanket secured to a side rail of the crib after the crib mattress has been substantially lowered from its position of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of a crib showing a baby therein covered by the blanket of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, a conventional crib ordinarily will be covered by a sheet or the like. The blanket may have a marginal binding lea, of satin or the like.

According to the invention, the upper edge margin of the blanket IE], centrally between the side margins, is equipped with a strap element as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The stitched end of strap element I 2 is provided with a snap fastener element I 6 for coaction with any of a series of coacting snap elements It spaced along the free portion of strap element I 2, which latter may be passed around the body of the baby, just below the arms, and be attached at snap element I 6 by whichever snap element I 8 is properly positioned for coaction with element It when the strap element is fairly snug about the body but not tight enough to prevent some turning movements of the body within the strap element. On the other hand, the strap element should be snug enough to prevent the baby from freeing itself from the strap element. the arms of the baby are left free to be without any hampering restriction by the blanket, yet the upper margin of the blanket is maintained in a predetermined relation to the baby.

A series of adjustable strap elements 20 are secured, as by stitching 22, in spaced relation along opposite side margins of blanket I 0 for securing the upper edge margin of the blanket, and the blanket as a whole, against appreciable displacement out of a predetermined proper spread relation to a baby in the crib. Actually,

other words, the baby is ing down under the blanket to a position where its head would be covered, and against movement out from under the blanket, although the baby is permitted to move relatively freely in its maintained general position.

Each of the strap elements 20 at the side margins of blanket l conveniently may be equipped with a series of snap elements whereby the strap elements may be quickly secured around a crib rail even though the crib mattress may be at any of various elevations of adjustment. As illustrated, the stitches 22 secure one end of each strap element 20 to a side margin of the blanket, and a snap element 24 is secured to each said stitched end of each strap element 20 for coaction with any of the series of snap elements 26 distributed along each strap element 20. Fig. 2 illustrates the endmost snap element 26 snapped to element 24, as when the mattress is at the upper limit of its adjustment, while Fig. 3 shows the inner-most snap element 26 snapped to element 24, as when the mattress is lowered substantially from its position of Fig. 2. In each case the strap element 20 is looped around the side rail 28 of the crib.

In each of Figs. 2 and 3, the blanket is maintained in properly spread relation to the baby and the baby is maintained in its general position of Fig. 4 but can turn from side to side and can move its arms freely outside the blanket and can move its body and kick its legs under the blanket.

The blanket of the invention remains clean and attractive over much longer periods without laundering, as compared with conventional crib blankets which frequently get under the baby and get wet, making it necessary to launder the conventional blanket at frequent intervals. My herein disclosed blanket, in its secured condition over a baby, cannot get underneath the baby and remains fresh and clean over long periods of use.

In Fig. 1 only a narrow marginal flap 3!) is outward 0f strap element 12 at the top margin of blanket Ill. If desired, the strap element l2 may be secured to the blanket further inward from the top edge, thereby to provide a wider relatively loose marginal flap 30 which may cover '4 the shoulders and arms of the baby when the baby is asleep. This flap 3!], being relatively loose, can yield freely under the arms of the baby when its arms are outside the blanket.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claim, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

A crib blanket comprising a generally rectangular flexible sheet body, a plurality of flexible strap elements secured in spaced relation to opposite side margins of said body, each adapted to be secured to a side rail of a crib when the blanket is spread within the crib, and, combined therewith, a flexible strap element secured at one end portion thereof to one end margin of the blanket at the under side thereof and substantially centrally between the side edges of the blanket, the latter said strap element having a relatively free strap portion for extending around the body of a baby below the arms of the baby, and coacting means on said secured end portion and said free portion of the latter said strap element for adjustably securing said free strap portion around the body of the baby under the arms of the baby with the blanket in covering relation to the body of the baby but leaving the arms free for movements outside the blanket, said end margin of the blanket and the baby being maintained by said strap element which extends around the body against any substantial relative displacement, while the first mentioned strap elements maintain the blanket against displacement relative to said side rails of the crib.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

